How to Understand a Last Will and Testament

A last will and testament seems like a bunch of legal jargon to someone who is not a lawyer. It is not as hard to read as you think if you look at it calmly and with common sense. Knowing your legal rights is important to you and your family’s well-being. Once you understand the will you are making you can be secure that your family will know your wishes after you are gone.  

• Understand that all wills are made by a person called a testator. Once you make the will and testament, any other documents before it are null and void.


• Realize that if you do not make it clear who is responsible for any minor children that you leave behind will become wards of the state. By not having a will in place in case of your death will be giving up your rights as a parent.


• Decide who you want to be your voice after your death. Think carefully before you make that decision, as this person will be the executor of your last will and testament. Choosing a trusted family member or best friend is the best course of action.


• Make it perfectly clear what you are willing to who in your last will and testament. There are two ways that your loved ones will receive what you leave behind via your will. The first way is specific distributions. This simply means that you are specifically naming who you want to have each asset you own. The other is a residuary disposition, which gives you the ability to just split up your assets between friends, family members and acquaintances alike.